


Book of Malice

by aroseandapen, rychuu



Series: Danganronpa V3 AU: We're a Two-For-One Special [3]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Gen, HE DOES NOT DESERVE THIS, Oh weeeellll, Wooo! Time for suffering!, poor Rochi, time for pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 08:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15530679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroseandapen/pseuds/aroseandapen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rychuu/pseuds/rychuu
Summary: Kurochi Ouma, Kokichi's elder twin brother, finds a secret journal with his brother's hand writing inside.





	Book of Malice

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Welcome to pain!
> 
> This is another Rp-turned-fanfic written by me and L (Aroseandapen) and edited by yours truly. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Special thanks to my beta reader crew (L, FJ, and Ari) for helping me edit.beta reading the fanfic version for me.

“Kokichi…?”

As the door slowly closed behind him, Kurochi found himself staring at his younger twin, laying on the bed with a pillow in his grip. The only response he got in return was silence. “Kii-chi?”

Nothing, not that Kurochi was expecting much from his brother. For the couple of days that had passed them by after Gonta’s execution, Kokichi barely moved from the bed. When he did, it was only to put on that mask Kokichi held fast to, and grin wildly in the face of their classmates as they continued to shove him aside. Kokichi was trying, Kurochi was sure of it—but with Gonta’s death still fresh in their minds, the rest of the class felt the dire need to blame someone for their suffering, and Kokichi was too easy of a target.

It didn’t matter that Kokichi was trying anymore. The others refused to give him the time of day.

Kurochi frowned as he made his way over to their bed, sitting on it before gingerly resting a hand on Kokichi’s arm. Kokichi didn’t react, instead only shuffling from the touch and groaning softly. He was asleep.

Kurochi gave his own grunt before a sigh escaped from his lips. “Kii-chi, wake up. It’s time for dinner.” He started to shake Kokichi’s shoulder lightly. “Kokichi, get up. You need to eat.”

“Nng...”

All Kurochi got was a sloppy wave of a hand and a displeased growl. Kokichi tried to say something, but Kurochi couldn’t make out anything he had said. Only that it was some form of protest.

“Kii-chi, wake up,” Kurochi muttered, shaking his brother’s shoulder again. “Wake _up,_ you—”

Before Kurochi could finish his demand, however, something caught his eye. An open leather book, laying peacefully on the ground right next to Kokichi’s side of the bed. He immediately recognized the hand writing to be his brother’s.

“Huh…?”

Lifting up the book into his hands, he couldn’t help but to frown. A diary? He hadn’t thought his brother was the type to keep a diary. What was more concerning was that Kurochi found himself unable to recall at any point during the killing game where he saw the little brown book in his brother’s possession. While Kokichi had his secrets, something about the fact he hadn’t ever seen his brother writing in the journal was… off putting. Like it was something Kokichi was trying to hide from him.

Kurochi went to close the book shut when a specific word caught his eye—or rather, a specific phrase written on the open page.

“ _You deserve to die.”_

The words made Kurochi immediately open the book wide, and his eyes frantically started to scan the pages.

_"Hey! To the one reading this: you're a fucking disgusting human being. No one loves you. Everyone hates you. You deserve it. You deserve to drown in blood and rot in hell!"_

Kurochi nearly slammed the book shut, eyes widened and strained. He could feel his breath caught in his throat, desperate to escape but having no way out. Cautiously, Kurochi turned his head to glance at his brother, whom was still asleep. Snoring oh so softly, completely unaware.

As he studied his brother’s face, Kurochi swore he saw tear marks staining his cheeks.

A strangled whine managed to escape from Kurochi and his arms started quivering. What kind of malicious book was he even holding? He didn't know, and he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to find out.

Silently, he stood from the bed, clutching to the book and tightly holding it to his chest. His eyes were still wide, and his mouth was pressed into a flat line. A part of him thought it might be better to put the book down, and confront his brother about it later. Pick apart those lies he wove.

His eyes, drawn to the brown leather, flickered down and he caught himself staring. Staring at something dark and sinister. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat, and it made his stomach bubble and churn.

Kurochi silently made his way towards the door. He had to know more.

He managed to slip out of the bedroom, without waking his brother and shutting the door quietly behind him. He pressed his back to the door, finding his legs giving out and sliding down the door until he was sitting. Kurochi looked up at the ceiling of the dormitory, shaking and wheezing. He couldn’t stop his eyes from flickering down to the closed book, soft whines escaping past his lips as he forced himself to look away each time.

Kurochi’s grip on the book tightened. Finally, he let his head fall, and his gaze settled on the cover of the book. He moved his hand and let his fingers graze across the cover. How deceptively peaceful.

As his gaze hardened, Kurochi opened the book to the first page. The first page was simple. It had Kokichi’s name written in the center, and beneath that were some ominous words.

“ _Plans and Observations. A Guide to Ending it All.”_

Remembering what Kurochi had just read not long ago, he held his breath, and turned the page. The second page was also seemingly innocent, only reading “ _Observations and Profiles.”_ Kurochi released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he had misread, or read something way out of context. He nodded to himself, deciding to give the book five more pages before he would stop reading if nothing troublesome emerged.

Kurochi didn’t even need one more page.

The very next page was adorned with doodles and what Kurochi assumed to be a profile for Maki Harukawa. It listed her name, assumed age, date of birth, likes and dislikes, her talent and profession… but there was a note beneath her profile that made Kurochi tense up.

“ _Most likely to kill you. Probably with slow acting poisons, various methods of torture, strangulation, and various other methods. She will make you suffer before you die. And you deserve it.”_

Perhaps Kurochi could have brushed off the note if it wasn’t for that final line. _You deserve it_. It didn’t take Kurochi more than a second to realize the “you” mentioned in the book was supposed to be Kokichi. Kurochi found a hand clasped over his mouth as his eyes widened again.

“ _Unreasonable. Will not be cooperative. You’ll have to do most of the prep work.”_

Cooperative? For what? Kurochi felt his heart racing as he looked at the doodles that adorned the bottom of the page. They were chibi doodles, much like how his brother would usually draw, but they were gruesome and horrific. They depicted Kokichi dead or being hurt in some way, shape or form by a doodle of what Kurochi presumed to be Maki.

With a trembling hand, he turned the page. Kaito was next.

“ _Hot blooded and hot headed, but not very likely to be comfortable with murder. Most likely method of killing you would be hands off and impersonal, like with a machine or pushing you off the highest point in the school. I hope you die a slow and painful death. Potentially more cooperative than Maki. Best candidate for plans.”_

Again with the malice, again with the horrid remarks. To top it all off, there were more doodles, this time with Kaito being the culprit in Kokichi’s torment or death. What was Kokichi even planning?

Kurochi turned to the next page.

“ _Tsumugi Shirogane. She might stab needles in your eyes or stab you with needles laced with poison. I hope it’s a slow poison. Unsure of cooperation.”_

He turned the page.

“ _K1-B0. More likely to malfunction and go haywire. Has many weapons and tools at his disposal. Unsure of methods. I hope they hurt. Very unlikely to be cooperative.”_

And again, he turned the page.

“ _Himiko Yumeno. Most likely to make a magic show gone wrong. Several methods, all are rightfully painful. Not likely to cooperate.”_

And then another page...

“ _Shuichi Saihara. Very low likelihood of killing you. Would resort to poisons if necessary. More likely than not would use painless methods or poisons. Bummer.”_

Each page turned had the same thing: a basic profile with the same basic information, and notes at the end of the profile to determine who would be more likely to kill Kokichi or not. There seemed to be an order, going from most likely to kill to least likely. And then… he turned the page.

“ _Kurochi Ouma.”_

Kurochi nearly threw the book in disgust, but instead, his grip on it tightened. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, and he could barely breathe.

Kokichi even made a profile for him.

It took him a couple of minutes to work up the mental and emotional strength to continue. Kurochi found that Kokichi was a little more detailed in the basic profile—which was to be expected. They were twins, after all.

However, what Kurochi was dreading the most, was reading the notes below it.

“ _Will not kill you.”_

Upon reading those first few words, Kurochi sighed with immense relief. Good, at the very least, Kokichi wasn’t so far gone that he’d expect his brother to have some sort of murder plan for him as well. However, Kurochi made the mistake of continuing.

“ _I wish he would strangle you and tell you how much he hates your guts and wants you to die.”_

A weak sob escaped from Kurochi’s lips, and tears dripped onto the page beneath him. When did he start crying?

“ _Very uncooperative. Cares too much. Don’t let him ever know the truth.”_

Another sob forced its way past his lips, and Kurochi squeezed his eyes shut. Without him being aware of it, Kokichi had sunken so far into despair and away from his grasp. Kurochi knew that Kokichi felt guilt after Gonta’s trial, but he hadn’t realized just how bad his brother had become… and there was a whole other section beyond the profiles he hadn’t even read yet.

Almost as if in a trance, Kurochi proceeded to flip the page, reading a single word. “ _Reasons.”_ The seemingly innocent word was deceptive, he knew that by now.

He turned the page, and immediately, he felt sick to his stomach from the cruelty of the words written there.

“ _They all hate you.”_

“ _They wouldn’t care if you died.”_

“ _They’d be happy if you died.”_

“ _They’re better off if you die soon.”_

“ _They need you to die.”_

Kurochi couldn’t even make it past the first page of “Reasons” before he dropped the book and burst into hysterical, silent tears. His brother was slipping right in between his fingers, and he hadn’t even been aware of it. How long did this book even exist? Kurochi wasn’t sure, but now that he knew it existed, he knew he had to do something.

But what could he _do?_

His hysterical tears slowed, but his chest only grew heavier and heavier. Kurochi had been trying so hard as it was, and now he only just learned it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t enough to save his brother, and the thought of losing him terrified him to no end.

Kokichi needed _help_ , and he wasn’t enough.

Slowly, Kurochi began to stand, the terrible little book in his arms and tears streaming down his face. He was dazed, almost in a trance. Before he knew it, his body was moving on its own.

The rest of the class had to be in the Dining Hall by that point. They had to know. They had to know how much danger Kokichi was in, and they had to help. They had to know what they were doing to him, and that Kokichi wasn’t a monster like they all had believed.

They had to see the book for themselves.

Kurochi’s feet carried him, down the stairs, out the door, across the campus and into the main building. He wasn’t sprinting or even running, but his walk was brisk and with purpose. His eyes stung from the tears that clung to them, and his lips were pursed into a tight line. Before long, he found himself opening the Dining Hall door, and staring at the students inside.

There were only two of them there. Himiko, who was idly playing with her food with her chopsticks, and K1-B0, who was sitting with his fist curled and pressed against his lips. With how his brows wrinkled and how hard his gaze was, Kurochi would assume that K1-B0 was uncomfortable or lost in thought.

Kurochi’s heavy panting caught the robot’s attention, and K1-B0’s expression softened as he looked up to meet his gaze. "Kurochi?" Concern laced his voice. "Are you all right? Did something happen?"

Himiko, curiosity mildly piqued, turned around to glance over Kurochi. It didn’t take her expression long to twist into a scowl.

Kurochi’s grip on the book tightened, so tight that he feared it might rip in his hands. “I-I, I, ah...” His words failed him. “K-Kokichi, he—I—I found this book, and...”

“Of course it’s about Kokichi...” Himiko muttered, turning her head away and shoving some food into her mouth. “He’s _always_ a problem...”

K1-B0 didn't pay her much mind, and instead, focused on Kurochi. "Kurochi, what is that book in your hands? Is it a clue about the outside world?"

“I’m—it’s—” Kurochi hardly noticed Himiko’s behavior toward him, coming to expect the distance and venom from all of his classmates. He shook his head rapidly a few times, trying to get his bearings as well as answer K1-B0’s question about the outside world. “My brother... wrote this and he—he’s not good, and he needs help, and I-I don’t know how to help, I don’t know what to do,” Kurochi’s words started melding together as he spoke faster, heart throbbing against his ribcage and pounding in his ears. “I’m afraid h-he’s going to hurt him—himself.”

“Hurt himself…?”

“ _Please,”_ Kurochi begged, moving closer to K1-B0 and offering up the book. “Please, please help him, please. I can’t, I _can’t_ lose him, please...”

“What are you babbling about?” Himiko grumbled, frowning. “It sounds like another lie...”

“It’s not a lie!” Kurochi cried out. “Kokichi, he’s… he’s in trouble! He’s in danger!”

“More like Kokichi _is_ the trouble...”she huffed. “He’s always causing something bad… This is probably just some trick...”

“W-wait just a moment,” K1-B0 interjected. “We aren’t sure about the situation… we shouldn’t just immediately dismiss—”

“It’s _not_ a trick!” Kurochi snarled, interrupting K1-B0. He gritted his teeth, feeling his face turn red from rage, and he yelled; “He’s not okay! He needs help!”

"Well, maybe you're lying, too!" Himiko exclaimed. "Why would anyone believe Kokichi's lies so blindly, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be—"

"Himiko, that is _enough."_ K1-B0 cut her off before she could instigate more. “I don't think Kurochi would believe something is wrong if he suspected Kokichi was... Lying." Even just stating the accusation, Kurochi noticed K1-B0 wince. "We should see for ourselves."

"Nyeh... You can read it if you want, but I'm not gonna." The magician puffed out her cheek, returning her attention to her food. "I'm never gonna let that boy trick me ever again."

"Ah... But even so..." K1-B0's voice trailed off, and he sighed. He gave Kurochi a sympathetic glance. “Please, continue. If that book doesn’t contain details about the outside world… then what is it?”

Kurochi’s breathing was ragged, sharp and hot as the rage boiled in his stomach. Instead of arguing with Himiko more, however, he immediately turned to K1-B0, tears stinging hot in the corners of his eyes. With a quick wipe to his face, he immediately walked over to where K1-B0 was sitting and sat across from him. He slid the book in front of K1-B0. “Please read this.”

“Read it?” K1-B0 echoed as he cautiously took the book into his hands. He opened to the first page, and frowned. “What… is this, Kurochi? Is this a diary? Or a journal, of sorts…?”

“I... guess it might be. Sort of...” The tears rimming Kurochi’s eyes spilled over. He hurried to scrub them away. “Maybe, but... but... please, you’ll see if you read it.”

“I...” Kurochi could hear the uncertainty in K1-B0’s voice, and saw his hands close the book ever so slightly. “I’m not so sure—”

“Please!” Kurochi cried out, jumping from where he sat and slamming his hands on the table. “Please! I, I can’t lose him, _please!”_

K1-B0 winced at his outburst, and after a moment, he gave Kurochi a soft nod. “All right. I’ll… I’ll read it, if you’re… this upset over the contents.”

There was a heavy amount of uncertainty still lingering in K1-B0’s tone as he opened the book back up, and Kurochi watched as his robotic eyes scanned over the pages. He slowly sat himself back in his seat, though he couldn’t suppress a sob when he saw K1-B0’s face twist with horror and disgust.

“K-Kurochi… This is…!”

“He needs help,” Kurochi wheezed. “He needs help, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t, I don’t know what to do…!”

It was at that moment the doors swung open, making Kurochi nearly jump out of his skin, his eyes darting toward the entrance. He half expected to see an angry and betrayed Kokichi standing there.

“Hey guys! Sorry we’re late!” Such was not the case. Kaito, Maki, and Shuichi had just come in together with Kaito leading the greeting, but Kurochi didn’t feel any relief as he averted his gaze again. “We were—hey, what’s wrong?”

Kurochi almost didn’t want to say. It hurt even worse to have to explain what was going on a second time. He forced the words out anyway, voice choked by sobs and his body shaking. “Ko-Kokichi, he’s—it’s—it’s really bad.” A couple of sobs escaped into the air, drawing out more alarm from the others. “It’s bad, it’s _bad...”_

"What Kurochi means, is that we have reason to believe that Kokichi has become a danger to himself," K1-B0 clarified, standing up and meeting the trio just in front of the Dining Hall table. He extended out the book for the others to take. "This book—please, read this for yourselves."

“Nyeh?” The commotion caught Himiko’s attention, and she frowned. "Don't you mean a danger to _us...?"_

"No, I mean exactly what I have said—Kokichi... if he really wrote this book, with genuine words, then... Then we cannot continue to handle things as they are. We must intervene, and perhaps settle our differences and misgivings. Even if this book isn't genuine, we have to treat it as it is, otherwise..." His voice trailed off, and Shuichi, Maki, and Kaito all glanced at each other before at the book in K1-B0’s hands.

Kurochi, through the tears in his eyes, could see Shuichi’s expression shift into mild alarm as he took the book into his hands. “A… danger?”

“… To himself?” Maki finished, eyes darting to the book. Not much emotion managed to surface in her expression, but her misgivings flickered across her face.

Hesitantly, Shuichi opened the book, holding it so that both Kaito and Maki could read it over his shoulders. Before long, Himiko had grown too curious, and made her way over to the trio to take a peek at whatever was causing such a commotion.

Shuichi turned the pages as he read, frowning as the later pages came into the limelight. The more he read, the more disturbing it became. In the end he couldn’t finish, covering his mouth with one hand as he pushed the book into Kaito’s hands. Himiko couldn’t even make it through half of what Shuichi did, pulling away with her hands clasped over her mouth and gagging. Kaito and Maki just stared at the book, the former much more clearly horrified than the latter.

Kaito was the first of the four to speak. “What the _fuck,_ man. This is insane! Kokichi seriously wrote this?”

K1-B0 only frowned further when he saw their reactions. "It appears so. Kurochi was the one who found it, seemingly in Kokichi's possession. Aside from that, upon reading the book myself, I cannot think of another author…"

“It _is_ his.” Kurochi bit the inside of his cheek, trying to hold back his sobbing enough to explain the book. “It was in our room, that’s how Kokichi writes, it’s—it’s _his.”_

“We definitely can’t ignore something like this,” Shuichi said, casting a dark glance at the book now in Kaito’s perspective. While Kaito still held it open, he was no longer reading it either. “We have to do... something.”

“We should talk to him—shake some sense into him!” Kaito suggested, slamming the book shut. “This is just... this is just _crazy,_ I don’t get it.”

“Why would he plan out ways for him to die? For _us_ to murder _him?”_ Maki wondered. Even for someone as used to death as an assassin was, she seemed disturbed by the concept of the book. “None of these are proper suicide plans. They all involve someone else murdering him.”

K1-B0 could only give them an unsure whine and a shrug at their confusion. "I... I don't know why Kokichi would plan such a thing, let alone keep notes and profiles about every remaining student here... Just to figure out how to convince them to kill him later.”

“God,” Shuichi said at the same time as Kaito whispered out a quiet “Holy fuck”. Neither of them could believe that Kokichi had so many horrific plans bouncing inside his mind.

After a few moments of silence, K1-B0 spoke again. "Ah, there... There was one thing I saw, the morning after Gonta's trial... Kokichi was..." Before he continued on, he looked to Kurochi, who could only sob in response.

Maki’s eyes flickered to K1-B0, her eyebrows drew down. “Kokichi was what?” she prompted, impatient for him to continue. “If you know something, you should tell the rest of us.”

K1-B0 winced upon Maki's glare. “A-ah… Well...” K1-B0’s voice trailed off, and he shifted his weight.

Kurochi choked on a sob. Finally, he was able to speak again, if only just. “He… really does f-feel guilty about Gonta and Miu… About the whole trial...”

K1-B0 shifted again. He glanced to Kurochi, frowning before his brows furrowed. With a more determined expression, he spoke; "I saw Kokichi and Kurochi standing in front of Gonta's lab, and... Kokichi was crying. Very loudly, too... but it wasn't like those, um. Fake tears.” The confidence was short lived, however, and K1-B0 went back to squirming with discomfort. “Kurochi was trying to calm him down, I think. I'm not sure what they were doing there in the first place, but... I think, after reading that book, and everything else that's happened…"

“But what he said before! After the trial!” Kaito began to protest. “Don’t you remember what he said?!”

“Y-yes, I remember, but...” K1-B0’s voice trailed off, but then he continued; " _'The role of the villain is perfect for me'_... That's something Kokichi said, before Gonta was executed... Perhaps, then, that means...” K1-B0 turned to Kurochi again, frowning deeply. “… He was reverting back to that 'role' after Gonta had been killed... Does that sound about right, Kurochi?"

Everyone turned to Kurochi for confirmation. Having so many eyes on him, Kurochi could barely breathe. They all stared at him, and after a few moments, he finally gave them the answer.

Much to their dismay, Kurochi nodded.

Sniffing and swiping at the tears on his face, only for fresh ones to take their place, Kurochi muttered; “He’d, he’d do anything—if he thought it was the right thing to do, then he’d take on the role without another thought.” More tears and sobs escaped from Kurochi, and he choked on his words. “He’s... been trying to push me away. Whatever he saw before, whatever he showed Gonta... since then he’s been trying to push me away.” He broke down, sobbing into his hands. “Please. I-I don’t want to lose him.”

Shuichi looked sick, his entire face pale. “If he was trying to make us hate him... and with this book...”

Then they’d all fallen for it, hard. Kokichi really was a danger to himself.

"B-but...!" Himiko finally was able to speak again, though nausea threatened her in the back of her throat. She kept a hand over her mouth, just in case. "W-why would he _want_ that?! Why would he want us to hate him? Are you saying that we—we were just falling for his trap the whole time?!"

K1-B0 remained silent, his own mind reeling with questions he couldn't yet answer. "... Whatever his reasons, he won't be able to do such a thing now, correct? Now that we're all aware, and..." He fell silent for a brief moment, before K1-B0 raised his voice. "We have to settle this, before someone gets hurt. We can't lose anyone else—we have to escape, together, no matter what!"

"But... the outside world..." Himiko's hands fell as she cupped them over her chest. "The Secret of the Outside World, it... it drove Gonta and Kokichi to this, r-right...? What's going on outside...? Why would it—why...?"

Himiko's questions made K1-B0 fall silent. There were no answer to her questions. No one but Kokichi knew, and it was more than likely Kokichi was never going to tell them.

“Well, whatever it is, Keebo’s right!” If Kaito didn’t have the book in his hands, he’d bring his fists together in a determined gesture. “We’ll work together and make sure no one gets hurt so then we can all get the hell out of here! _Including_ Kokichi! I’m not gonna let any of these plans in here succeed!”

And then all of a sudden, the doors to the Dining Room opened—and there stood Kokichi, lightly panting and his eyes wide.

Kurochi choked on the blossoming hope he’d felt. A mixture of shock, guilt, and worry overwhelmed him for a moment. After stealing such a _personal_ thing to expose it to the others, he felt much like he was caught doing something wrong. He stood up, and then stepped toward his brother, swallowing back his anxiety. “Kii-chi…”

"K-Kokichi…" K1-B0 started, but his voice died away as quickly as it came, and the air became oppressive. Kurochi thought that such a silence would swallow him whole, and every second that passed them by was agonizingly slow.

Kurochi kept his eyes on his brother, noticing the way he tensed. He saw his brother’s eyes fixated on the book in Kaito’s hands, and even though his expression was mostly neutral, Kurochi could see the fear dancing in Kokichi’s eyes.

Before Kurochi could speak again, however, his brother did that for him.

"Kurochiii...! Is that what I _think_ it is?" His voice carried no signs of immediate distress, only a whining tone of annoyance. He puffed out his cheeks. "I wasn't done with that! I had a lot more to wriiiite..."

This, at the very least, caught Himiko and K1-B0 by surprise. "Nyeh? W-what—"

"Jeez, way to go...” Kokichi didn’t even let Himiko finish, turning his attention to his hand as he spoke. “Now my whole plan is a bust... How could you _betray_ me like this? I'm so _disappointed_ in you." Kokichi slumped his shoulders. "All that hard work, making that book as real-sounding and authentic-looking as possible... it's all a waste…"

The room fell into silence as Kokichi’s words sunk in. With the way he spoke, a slight whine and just general annoyance with the turn of events, there was no wonder that a hushed surprise fell over the others. If his words and behavior were to be believed, then the implications of them were obvious. Considering the content of the book itself, it was hard to imagine anyone reacting to such writings being found out with anything other than desperation, panic, or denial… and Kokichi displayed none of those things.

Kurochi blinked, freezing in place. “...What?” His brother’s reaction had caught him off guard. Kurochi didn’t know what he was expecting—but certainly, it wasn’t this. “What… what are you saying?”

“Are you saying all this is made up?” Maki rose to the bait, irritation bleeding into her tone. Kurochi gasped lightly and turned to her, mouth open and ready to protest, but he was interrupted before he could even start.

“Wait, why would you make up something like this?” Kaito seemed torn, his normally loud, confident voice taking on an unsure tone.

“It’s not!” Kurochi was quick to deny it, panicked eyes darting between Maki, Kaito, the book, and his brother. If the others believed in the lie his brother was telling, then it would all be for nothing. His brother would continue slipping away, and the thought made him frantic. “It’s not made up! Kokichi, I know it isn’t!”

While Maki and Kaito had been quick to respond, Shuichi had said nothing. He looked at the book, and then at Kokichi, watching his expression and his movements. Observing.

"Nyeh... I knew it..." Himiko muttered to herself, soon after Maki made her accusation. "I knew that book was a lie the moment Kurochi came in here with it... I could tell it was fake, 'cause of my magic..."

“It’s not fake!” Kurochi insisted. “It’s not, it’s _not!”_

K1-B0, however, balled a fist over his chest and sunk his shoulders. He seemed lost in thought, though anxious and uncertain.

When Kurochi turned his attention back to Kokichi, to yell at him for lying, the words got caught in his throat. He saw that the panic and fear had left Kokichi’s eyes, and was replaced with cold calculation. Cold, distant calculation and a smile.

Kokichi lost the smile, however, and continued to weave his lie. "Huuuh...? What’cha mean?" Kokichi tilted his head, seemingly in confusion. "Made up? Of course it is. Didn't Kurochi find it and reveal it to you guys? So I couldn't make you guys feel sorry for me?"

"He... did no such thing," K1-B0 muttered, shifting his weight. "He showed us... out of concern for your well being..."

"... Oooooh..." Kokichi's expression remained neutral for a few moments before he tucked his arms behind his head, grinning. "Oopsie daisies! I didn't think Kurochi would fall for it toooooo! Man, I'm such a ditz, _I'm_ the one who ruined my plan! Way to go, me!"

“S-stop it...” Kurochi’s voice cracked, and his mind began to race. “Stop...”

It seemed like no one heard him, however. No one was even paying any attention to Kurochi anymore.

Maki glowered at Kokichi. “Faking something like that is a low move, even for you,” she said, apparently having figured that the book being false made more sense than it being genuine. “Just to make us feel sorry for you...”

"There's no point in lying now, sooo.... Yeah! That book is a lie. A shame my whole plan went to waste, but what can you do.” The lie continued, horrible and cheerful all at once. “Sometimes, plans just don't go the way you want them to! I'm already over it. You guys wouldn't stop hating my guts even if you felt sorry for me, so I guess this is for the best. Welp!" Before anyone had a chance to react, Kokichi sprinted over to Kaito and snatched the malicious little book right from his hands. “I'll be taking that!”

“Hey!” Kaito exclaimed, hands grasping at the empty air. Kokichi was sure to keep the book out of reach, despite Kaito’s efforts to snatch it back.

"I gotta burn it later. It _stinks_ of utter failure! I can't let it exist anymore." Kokichi chirped. “Failures don’t deserve to exist!”

“What the hell, man?” Kaito shouted, balling his fists. “We were worried about you, you little shit!”

"Well _duh_ you were worried," Kokichi chirped. "I _wrote_ it that way. But I slipped up, so whatevs. But man! Now I'm even moooore upset!" Kokichi pouted again. "I even got Kaito to worry about me…"

“You’re awfully cheerful about making everyone worry with your lies, including your brother,” Maki said, her voice cold. “You’re disgusting.”

“Is it really a fake...?” Shuichi’s voice sounded disturbed. “But if your original plan had been to make us feel sorry for you, why would you come out and say it was made up to begin with? If we would’ve believed it anyway...”

Kurochi immediately turned to Shuichi, nearly sobbing. “It’s not—it’s not fake, it’s _not!”_

"Huuuh? What'cha mean?" Kurochi went ignored again as Kokichi pressed a finger to his lips, innocent and acting as if he didn’t understand what Shuichi was implying. "Like I said before, I didn't think Kurochi would fall for my lie, so I thought he was betraying me and exposing me. He'd _never_ approve of me manipulating you guys, so I had to keep it a secret... but when I saw Kaito holding my book, I thought he already told you all."

Kokichi gave a pout. "It's not like I gave myself away on _purpose,_ you know. I just overestimated Kurochi and made assumptions. Are you overthinking things, Shuichi?" Kurochi could hear a slight hint of desperation in Kokichi’s voice. However, before he could call it out, Kokichi continued. "... 'Caaause then, you're toootally right! I lied again, sowwie! That book's real. It's the truth!"

Himiko pointed an accusatory finger at Kokichi. "Hey! You can't back out of it now! We _know_ you're lying, that book is fake!"

Without skipping a beat, Kokichi grinned, and replied with his voice as cheery as ever; "But it's truuuue! I swear, it's real!"

"No it's not!" Himiko's face started turning red. "You're still lying!"

“It’s _not_ a lie!” Kurochi cried out, but with how his classmates and brother ignored him, it was like he wasn’t even there to begin with. “Stop it, stop! He’s lying, can’t—can’t you guys see that?!” Kurochi turned to Shuichi, who seemed to be the _only_ one not ignoring him. “It’s not, this isn’t a lie, I _know_ it’s not. Please...”

“I—” Shuichi was taken aback, both by the desperation in Kurochi’s voice and the shift in Kokichi’s words. He clearly wasn’t expecting Kokichi to shift in such a manner, and Kurochi could tell he was thrown off guard.

“It’s not a lie,” Kurochi repeated. He must have sounded like a broken record by that point. “It’s not, it’s not...”

This seemed to embolden Shuichi, who turned his attention back to the ever calm expression Kokichi wore. “You’re... not very convincing...” he muttered. “… Maybe, regardless, one of us should be the one to get rid of that book. I think it’d be worth it to Kurochi if you didn’t have it back, since he’s so upset about this. I don’t... think we should ignore this.”

Kurochi saw the corner of his brother’s mouth twitch. "Huuuh? Why would I give it to any of you guys?" Kokichi puffed out his cheek. "You guys might try to use it! I'd rather destroy it myself. I already said I was going to, right?"

"... Then why not give it to your brother?"

The next voice to chime in startled him, and Kokichi turned to face K1-B0. "... Huh?"

K1-B0 didn't seem to like that all of the attention was on him now, and he averted his eyes. "If you don't trust us... surely, you still trust your brother, correct? He's the only one you ever really trusted with anything... So just give him the book, and he can dispose of it however he sees fit."

Shuichi nodded along with K1-B0, glancing over at him as he did so. “Yeah, that would work. I’m sure it’d make Kurochi feel better if he saw the book was destroyed.” His eyes slid back to Kokichi, and he blinked at the expression he wore.

Kokichi stared at K1-B0, eyes wide and silent.

“… It shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Shuichi tried to speak calmly, but his voice wavered. “If you’re going to get rid of it anyway, it’d be... the best option to let Kurochi do it, right? Unless... unless you’re not actually planning on getting rid of it...”

Kurochi watched his brother through blurry vision, tears rolling down his cheeks. Kurochi choked back his sobs as he waited for Kokichi to act. His brother was as still as a statue, staring blankly at K1-B0 before glancing over to Shuichi.

Kokichi’s grip on the book tightened.

"... Of course it's not a problem! Why would it be?" Kokichi gave a signature happy grin. "It's just soooo unnecessary... But if it'd make you all feel better..." Without hesitation, he shoved the book a bit _too_ roughly into Kurochi's hands, and Kurochi yelped in surprise. Kokichi tucked his arms behind his head, but he wasn’t fooled. Kurochi felt the force Kokichi gave, and saw the very slight tremors in his brother’s hands before they were hidden. "Kurochiiii, you better burn it later! I would do it, but since it'd make you feel better…"

Kurochi fell silent again, staring at Kokichi with big, wide eyes filled to the brim with tears. And maybe it was because Kokichi now directly addressing him, but something else suddenly hit him.

Kokichi called him by his full name.

He rarely referred to Kurochi as anything but ‘Rochi’—that and ‘Kii-chi’ being the names they’d given each other, ones that were all their own and were untainted by  _that man._ It felt like a subtle jab, almost like a rejection.

His grip on the book now in his possession grew tight. “Kii-chi, please. Don’t... lie about this, _please.”_ Even now, his brother was trying to shrug off the concerns of the others. He was still trying to fool them. Kurochi looked beseechingly at Kokichi for a couple moments before his gaze fell to the floor, shoulders shaking. “I just... don’t want to lose you. _Please.”_

Kokichi’s gaze was on him, but it was nothing but a blank stare. A silent, neutral gaze that provided no comfort or reassurance.

Shuichi stared at the twins, quiet and contemplative for a moment. “It’s a bit strange how willing you are to do this, to make us believe that the book really is fake,” he said at last. “If you’d written it to manipulate us somehow... now would be a good chance, since at least Keebo, Kurochi, and myself doubt that it’s not true. But you gave up on saying it was true rather quickly, like you aren’t even trying to convince us that it is—that you want us to think _that_ is the lie instead.”

Kurochi turned to Shuichi, relief filling his chest and yet feeling a sharp pain stabbing him all the while. He was finally starting to understand. Shuichi was _finally_ starting to understand.

But someone wasn’t all too happy about that.

"You're weeeiiiirrd, Shuichi," Kokichi started. "First you tell me you want me to give the book to Kurochi, and now you're saying 'cause I did, that the book _must_ be real because I'm convincing you it's a lie... What kind of weird logic is that, anyway?"

Kokichi didn't smile. He didn't force out any cheer. His voice was flat, and monotone.

"You know, maybe I gave up so fast cause I'm not as much of a _heartless monster_ as you think I am. You guys gang up on me and accuse me of everything, and even I can have weak, emotional moments where I make bad, desperate choices." Kokichi pointed at the book. "Like that book. Truth is, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to go through with my idea for several reasons... and now that Kurochi's _so convinced_ that it's real, maybe I'd rather give up entirely so he doesn't have to worry rather than hurt him more."

Kokichi’s eyes narrowed at Shuichi as he let his hand fall to his side. "Did you even considered that? Did you even consider that, for a moment, that I'm giving up because I care enough about my brother to call it quits?"

Everyone remained silent, unsure and uncomfortable by the conversation and the struggle between the liar and the detective. They didn’t know what, or _who,_ to believe.

"Just look at him," Kokichi muttered, throwing a glance Kurochi's way. "You really think _anyone_ could go through with a plan that'd make someone cry like that? How much of a _monster_ do you take me for?"

Kurochi couldn’t suppress the sob that forced it’s way past his throat. “Kii-chi… S… stop...”

But his voice was too soft. Not even Shuichi heard him over his brother’s powerful voice.

Then, a bitter smirk crept its way onto Kokichi’s lips, and he bowed his head slightly, just enough to cast a sinister shadow over his eyes. "Then again, I'm _always_ going to be alone, right, Shuichi? No one's gonna _listen_ or _care_ about me at all, riiight? Say, what kind of feelings _would_ drive someone to plot out such a manipulative book to begin with? If my goal was to gain sympathy... Hmmm...?"

This made Kurochi’s eyes widen, and he sharply turned to Shuichi. That was a low blow, and he knew it. Everyone knew Shuichi struggled with facing harsh truths, being full of insecurities and doubt. Kokichi wasn’t attacking anything logical—now, he was making it personal.

Attack the weakest point, and go in for the kill. His brother wasn’t an _Ultimate Leader_ for nothing. Kokichi knew people, and knew what words to use to make or break someone in just a few seconds.

And by the look of things, Kokichi hit the mark. He had made _everyone_ visibly uncomfortable.

Shuichi had closed his eyes against the blow of Kokichi’s words. Kurochi temporarily stopped crying, fear and nausea leaving the tears trapped in his eyes. Shuichi had to believe Kurochi. He _had_ to. No one else would, and Kokichi wasn’t listening. “ _Shuichi_ ,” he began, not sure what to say, but frantic for the detective to not give up now, even in the face of something so brutal. Kurochi could see the guilt and shame in Shuichi’s face, pale and sick from the implications Kokichi was giving. “Please...”

Opening his eyes, he glanced over at Kurochi’s tear-stained face, and exhaled slowly as his expression hardened. “I—that’s...” Shuichi floundered, immediately breaking that confident mask he put up, but he continued anyway. “That’s the thing—I believe that you really do care about Kurochi. That’s why it just doesn’t make _sense_.”

He closed his eyes again, but only briefly before he opened them to look at Kokichi.

“You care about him, and yet you’ve been so distant from him this entire time, when he’s the one the most upset over what he found. You’ve been putting so much effort into convincing the rest of us, and you’ve barely even paid attention to him.” As Shuichi spoke, he brought a curled finger to his chin, a habit he had while making logical deductions. “The rest of us have... treated you poorly all this time, so I don’t see why the most of your efforts wouldn’t be spent on convincing the one you’ve been closest to all this time.”

Shuichi glanced at Kurochi again. “Unless you don’t think he can be convinced, and even then... I’d think that he matters more to you than whatever we think...”

Kokichi’s eye twitched, and his neutral expression cracked ever so slightly with a small frown.

“And I admit I’m not entirely sure what to make of it, but...” Yet Shuichi continued, ignoring the glare set on him. “As long as we’ve known you two, you’ve always called your brother ‘Rochi’. Except this whole time you’ve referred to him only as Kurochi—which yes, it’s his name, but the sudden change is strange. That’s why I believe... that this book _is_ real, and we might’ve pushed you into making it.”

Kokichi had fallen silent, glaring at Shuichi with something Kurochi couldn’t quite place. Resentment? Anger? Hatred? He wasn’t sure, but soon, it wouldn’t matter.

Kokichi started laughing.

It started as a soft chuckle, but it grew quickly into a sick and twisted laughter. Malice, raw and ugly, twisted his face as he laughed at Shuichi, making the detective wince and take a step away from him. "Oh maaaan! I can't do this anymore, this is just too hilarious!" Kokichi’s arms wrapped around his stomach, as if the laughter was causing him pain. "I can't breaaathe!"

He laughed, and laughed. Then, he bowed his face just enough for a darker shadow to form under his bangs. Kokichi's eyes were wide and strained, as was his grin.

"Ya got me! Man, you can see right through me, huh? Yup, it's true! I _have_ been ignoring my brother this whole time, but not because that silly little book is real. You wanna know the cold, hard truth? Well, here it is!" Kokichi threw his arms out to his sides. His grin grew even more twisted and wild. _"I never cared about him to begin with!_ Surprise!"

Shuichi fell silent, dumbfounded by his reaction. “Huh?”

"Man, you guys are dumb! _So_ dumb! Don't you remember what I did to Miu? What I did to _Gonta?"_ Kurochi swore Kokichi’s eyes had become glassy. "You _really_ think I have the capacity to feel _compassion_ or _sympathy?_ You're even dumber than I thought! Why would I make a stupid book like that?! What's my reason, huuuh?"

Somehow, Kokichi's expression kept twisting, more and more. It was by far the most terrifying face Kurochi had ever seen his brother make.

"I don't care for _any_ of you! All I wanted is to see the looks on your faces as you _suffer!"_ He started laughing again, hard and loud.

"And _you_ wanna accuse everyone of being responsible for that book!" Kokichi sneered. "Is that what you want? You wanna believe that you and your precious _friends_ drove someone to have such _horrible_ thoughts? Ha! Maybe you're just as much of an evil bastard as _I_ am!"

K1-B0 and Himiko had recoiled as well, and they both looked frightened by Kokichi’s sudden outburst.

"I _really_ made that book just to mess with you guys! God, you're all so _trusting_ and dumb. Just like Gonta! I had that _idiot_ in the palm of my hand, and you all are no different!" He kept going. Further and further behind that mask, further and further into that role their classmates forced him into. The villain. Kokichi certainly acted the part well.

"Maybe I should make someone else kill again? Hmmm? Won't that be fun?! Who should be the next blackened? Who should kill whooo?” Kokichi threw all of his twisted words and gaze right at Shuichi. “Shuichi, you get to decide! Who should I make kill who next? Who do you want to _die_ next?! Don't worry, I'll make sure they're both as dead as drowned rats!"

Kurochi saw Shuichi fumble over himself, trying to process the situation. “Th-that’s—Kokichi... but—”

“You despicable little...” Maki’s eyes flashed in anger, and she turned to Shuichi. “You see, Shuichi? He has no remorse for anything he’s done, he’s just been trying to manipulate all of us this entire time.”

“But... Kurochi... Gonta...” Shuichi’s voice was weak, and it was so painfully obvious that he was just about ready to hide back in his shell.

“He just manipulated them both, like he’ll do to any of us if we give him the chance. Why would you defend him?”

Kokichi started laughing even _harder_ when Maki ate up the bait. Yet the laughter that came from him wasn't from joy. It was bitter and twisted with rage and despair.

Kurochi’s breath was ragged and quick. Was he really the only one who _saw_ that?

“You _asshole_!” Kaito clenched his fists, stepping toward Kokichi. “I’ll show you, you little—!” Kaito took another step, looking much like he was about to rush across the room to take a swing at him, even if it’d gone poorly for him last time.

Before he could do any more than that single step, however, someone else moved. Kurochi dropped the book in his hands and crossed the short distance between him and his brother. He grabbed Kokichi’s sleeve with his right hand, and with his left, he slapped his brother across the face.

The smack to his face stilled Kokichi, silencing his twisted laughter. His body had frozen in place, not moving even an inch from where the slap had put him. Kokichi didn't even look at his brother with his widened eyes.

“ _Stop it!”_ Fresh tears rolled down Kurochi’s cheeks, and he swayed on his feet even with his grip on his brother’s sleeve. “You don’t—you don’t—Just _stop!_ Y-you’ve cared about me our whole lives, and that’s not a lie, so just _quit it!”_

With his mouth slightly agape, Kurochi saw something drip down his brother’s face. Otherwise, Kokichi remained silent.

Kurochi breathed hard, sniffing as he scrubbed his hand over his eyes, failing to wipe away the tears as new ones came to take their place. The anger Kurochi had felt melted back into hurt and worry as he stared at his brother’s face. “You’re... not _like_ that. You’ve cried over Gonta and Miu before. And I know that the... things… you have in this book are real and you need help so, please... stop acting like you’re the villain here.”

As taken aback by Kurochi’s actions as the rest of them had been, how immediate Kokichi’s silence was after it was even more surprising.

Kaito lowered his fists. He looked like he didn’t know what to make of it. “Kokichi...?” he ventured, unnerved by the sudden quiet.

Himiko didn't say anything, feeling just as lost and confused as Kaito. The longer Kokichi remained silent, the worse she shook. Kokichi remained silent, yet that silence spoke volumes more truth than his voice would muster.

Shuichi was frozen; he couldn’t move. He only stared at the brothers, taking in the sight before him. Kokichi wasn’t responding. He didn’t even _try_ to respond.

K1-B0 had hung his head, a shadow over his eyes. "... I had my suspicions beforehand, but this only confirms it," he muttered quietly. "Then what we saw just now, was a lie. Kokichi… That book..."

It was real. Even Maki seemed stunned into silence by Kokichi’s sudden shift, both her and Kaito’s eyes moving to the book that Kurochi had dropped on the ground.

Shuichi hung his head and averted his gaze. “So that leaves us... where we were before, then.”

Kokichi finally moved. He had stood up straight, keeping his head bowed and eyes out of view. As if it was a weak attempt to hide the tears that streamed down his face.

Things fell silent and still. An uneasy peace in the middle of all the tension. The moments that ticked by felt like hours.

Suddenly, Kokichi choked on a sob before he violently tugged his arm free from his brother's grasp, and just as viciously pushed him away. Both of his actions surprised Kurochi, causing him to yelp and stumbled backwards. Unable to find his footing, he tripped and fell over, and immediately his eyes were on Kokichi.

Then, Kokichi sprinted out of the dining hall.

Vaguely, he registered that a couple of the others were calling out after Kokichi, but he didn’t identify any of them. Not important. Ignoring the stinging in his arms, he scrambled to his feet. “Wait! Kokichi!” Despite the significant lead Kokichi had, Kurochi still took off after him. K1-B0 immediately followed, calling out to Kokichi as well.

Yet by the time Kurochi had recovered from the push enough to give chase and reached the dining hall door, his brother was nowhere to be seen. He hesitated, stopping right in the doorway as he stared out across the grounds, his heart pounding in his ears. It didn’t matter if he looked around the academy for his brother or not, he knew. If Kokichi didn’t want to be found, then he simply wouldn’t be found.

He grabbed at his shirt over his heart, and weakly sobbed. K1-B0 had stopped behind him, though briefly confused, a quick peek out of the dining hall told him everything. Kokichi was gone, and nowhere to be found. K1-B0 whined softly. "Kurochi..."

K1-B0 paused, pressing his mouth into a thin line before he rested a hand on Kurochi’s shoulder. Kurochi hiccuped, not leaning away from the touch nor into it, and wrapped his arms around himself.

"Please... Do not worry. We won't let anything bad happen to him. Once we find him, we will all try to help him. Okay?" K1-B0 had tried to comfort him, but Kurochi hardly felt any relief.

Meanwhile, Himiko looked like she was just two seconds away from getting sick. "S-so... That book, it's—it's real, and we... we're... we..." She wheezed and gagged, and brought her hands up to her mouth. "Urgh…"

Shuichi’s face was pale, staring at the book still left on the floor. “… Yeah. And... I really think we should face the fact that we really have... p-pushed him... into this...”

“Holy shit, dude.” Kaito dragged his hand over his face. He didn’t know how to react. “This is—I just can’t believe...” He shook his head, clearing it. Squaring his shoulders, he made his way to the entrance of the dining hall, moving around K1-B0 and Kurochi, the latter still collapsed in the doorway.

“Fuck it, I’m going to go look for him!” Never mind that he had never been able to find Kokichi before when he hid from the others. Kaito had to try. “Like hell I’m just going to sit around and wait for him to show up again. Don’t worry, Kurochi, I’m going to find him and shake some sense into him. I swear, I’m not going to let anyone else die!”

"Ah, Kaito…!" K1-B0 had called out to him, but Kaito was already out the door and long gone. With a reluctant sigh, K1-B0 moved his hand from Kurochi's shoulder. "Even if it might seem impossible to find him, we should all go look for Kokichi as well. Even if he's probably well hidden by now... He can't hide forever."

He turned to Shuichi and Maki. "We should split up and look for him, yes? And... We definitely should dispose of that book."

Shuichi held his hand to his chin, contemplative. “That sounds like a good idea. If we’re all looking for him, I’m sure we’ll find him eventually. Even if he’s moving around, one of us are bound to run into him.”

Maki sighed heavily, eyes shifting to a corner of the room. She looked uneasy, reluctant. “Finding people isn’t exactly my specialty but… I guess I can keep an eye out for him.” She sounded as if she didn’t want to find him just as much as Kokichi would likely rather die than be found by her.

Shaking, Kurochi picked himself up off the ground. Without looking at any of them, he dragged his feet over to where he’d dropped the book, bending down to pick it up. “…I’ll get rid of it.” He almost couldn’t bring his voice to above a whisper, holding the book to his chest. “I-I’ll get rid of it and then… help look for h-him.”

Kurochi was sure that they’d have an easier time of finding Kokichi if _he_ wasn’t around them anyway. At least the others only reacted to reading the contents of the book. _He_ was the one who’d essentially betrayed his brother’s trust and forcibly revealed some huge vulnerabilities that Kokichi held. And had struck him, in front of everyone.

He doubted Kokichi would want to even see him anytime soon.


End file.
